


to build a home

by Tuometar



Series: My midam week 2020 [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Adam and Michael live in a cottage and are in love, Angel Courtship (Supernatural), Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Nesting, Other, Post-Episode: s15e08 Our Father Who Aren't in Heaven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:00:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26778496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tuometar/pseuds/Tuometar
Summary: Adam doesn't find out just how settled in Michael is until he can't find his shirt.For midam week 2020 prompt: "Domestic and/or Post-Series"
Relationships: Michael/Adam Milligan
Series: My midam week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1941967
Comments: 8
Kudos: 107





	to build a home

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is a bad look, only doing the first and the last prompt, but in my defence, I found my next longer fic idea from one of the prompts and it has taken over everything.
> 
> Thank you [@almostwritingdragon](https://almostwritingdragon.tumblr.com) for betaing this!

Adam didn’t notice anything strange until his red shirt went missing. 

It had been a normal day, he and Michael had been settling in their life back topside for a while now. After jumping around a while taking in the fact that they were truly out, it had felt right to stop, to try to find a place to fit into once again. They were renting a tiny cottage not far from a small town but definitely not in it either. The rent had been barely anything because the place was a fixer-upper. And fixed up Michael had with the snap of his fingers while also adding all sorts of magical protections around the place. 

Adam had considered moving into the town itself, getting a house, or an apartment, but in the end, it didn’t seem like the best idea. Adam was very happy to be back on Earth, among other humans, but he was not used to it anymore. Michael for his part had never spent much time on Earth, so it was better to take baby steps. He was after all walking around with a being that had enough power to level the whole town on instinct. Adam liked to go into the town, to visit the shops, to eat, but it was better they had a place to return to away from it all when everything just got a bit… too much. As much as he hated to admit it, Adam was no longer used to all the noises of a town much less a city. 

It was too early for him to be around many humans for a long time, so Adam earned a bit of cash as a dog walker. He took a few of the bigger dogs on long hikes their busy owners didn’t have time for. It was good, the dogs offered company, but it took less effort from Adam than humans would have. He and Michael could just be themselves, there was no worry of the dogs telling anyone if they saw something a bit odd. 

The dogs did seem to sense that Adam wasn’t quite what he appeared, and they did notice the change the couple of times Adam had managed to get Michael to take control while the dogs were there. The first time Michael had appeared the dogs had backed off clearly wary of this sudden appearance of a thing they had never seen. But after many bribes in the form of the special dog treats Adam had bought, Michael was quickly declared a friend, if still a one that needed to be respected. Now Adam had a reputation in town for being able to get even the unruliest of dogs to obey him. 

Dogs were not the only animals Adam had for company. Much to his delight, Michael’s presence seemed to attract all sorts of forest animals close to their cabin. Deers, rabbits, birds, all seemed to be both drawn to and frightened by the angel. Adam felt like a Disney princess when petting the deers or when birds would drop little trinkets onto his lap. Michael was as baffled by the animals as he was by the friendly and normal human interactions he was now experiencing for the first time. 

Michael had had difficulty adjusting. There had been almost nothing left of the life he had once lived and now he had to discover a whole new way of being. But he didn’t seem to mind all that much, not with Adam by his side. It was a good life they were settling into. Adam sometimes wondered at the sheer domesticity and simpleness of their life. It was hard to believe that this was where he had ended up. After all that time in Hell, here he was. He was walking dogs, washing dishes, folding laundry, doing everyday stuff. 

It was as he was folding his fresh laundry that he noticed the missing shirt. Adam didn’t exactly have a lot of things to his name, so it was easy to notice a missing one. He thought he’d washed it with the rest, but the shirt was nowhere to be found. Adam went through his closet and discovered he was also missing a pair of jeans and three socks. That was strange. He racked his brains to figure out where his clothes could have gone but came out with no answers. He only had one idea and it was a strange one. 

_Michael?_ he called inside his mind. Michael did tend to move around while he slept, an activity Adam still chose to do for his own comfort, and sometimes Michael moved their stuff as well, but what he could have wanted with a shirt, jeans, and three socks was a mystery. 

Michael had remained silent during Adam’s search which, now that he thought about it, was unusual. Michael had a habit of wanting to jump in to solve all of Adam’s tiny inconveniences with the snap of his fingers. 

_Yes?_ came a response. 

_Do you know where my clothes are?_ Adam asked.

There was a silence which immediately told Adam that Michael did indeed know where the clothes were. 

_Michael_ , _is everything alright?_ Adam was a bit alarmed now, they didn’t have a lot of secrets from one another. It sort of came with the sharing-a-body-while-trapped-in-Hell deal. 

_Yes, everything is fine,_ Michael said quickly. _I just- It’s not- I wasn’t intending to show it to you yet._

_Show me what?_ Adam asked immediately, it was not often Michael stumbled with his words. 

Michael was silent. 

_Michael, I’m getting worried here, what are you doing with the clothes?_

_They are being used right now._

Well that was a cryptic answer Adam wasn’t going to settle for.

_Used for what?_

_Things._ Michael clearly wanted the subject to drop.

_What things?_

Michael was silent.

_Michael, since when do we have secrets?_

_It’s not…._ Michael let out as deep a sigh as a non corporeal entity could. 

_Fine,_ he nudged a little and Adam moved aside giving Michael control. Michael walked them to the corner of their small cabin, to the rickety stairs that lead to the small attic above. Adam had only ever peaked in there once, but the small tight dusty space hadn’t seemed all that welcoming. Michael climbed the steep stairs with the ease of someone who had done it multiple times. Adam tried to question Michael’s intentions but all he got was resolute silence. 

Michael crouched down a bit as he stepped onto the attic floor. Adam looked around in amazement. Michael had clearly done some work in there. Last time Adam had seen the place, it had been dark and dusty with spiderwebs in every corner and a small window so dirty it might as well have been part of the grimy wall. Now the space was completely transformed. Michael had cleared away all the grime and dirt, there were no spiders to be seen, and Michael had even added a roof window to get more light to one corner. 

In that corner were the only things in the otherwise empty attic. There was a strangely shaped pile of stuff. The walls of the corner were lined with fabrics and some other materials Adam did not immediately recognize. The pile also spread some way to the floor, leaving just enough space that a person could comfortably lay on the pile, the edges of the pile were raised higher and the uppermost layer wasn’t made of fabrics but various other materials, from the light of the roof window Adam could see woven branches leaves and dried hay.

“It’s not finished,” Michael said appearing next to him and giving Adam back control. “I meant to wait at least another week before I show it to you.” His voice was strangely thin, there was a weight behind the words, they were loaded with meaning Adam did not understand. He looked at the pile in the corner, very puzzled. It was clearly the thing Michael was talking about, it was clearly important. Michael was looking at Adam with one of his intense looks, one of the looks that _burned_ as Michael tried to understand Adam’s thoughts while honoring his promise to not just straight-up read his mind. Michael was standing completely still just waiting for something. Adam was about to ask him what was going on, when it hit him. Adam’s breath hitched as he finally understood what was going on. It was a Nest, Michael was Nesting. 

During their time in the Cage, Adam had probably become the leading human expert on angels and angel rituals. There hadn’t been much to do besides talking first to and then with Michael. Very slowly this had opened the world of angels to him, its complex rules and customs. Adam knew all angels built a nest somewhere in Heaven. A Nest was their most private corner, a place to rest and store important objects. Angels only trusted those who they were very closely bonded with to see their nest, and the nest played a part in some of the rituals related to an angel’s life. Their placement showed the angel’s rank, they played a role in forming alliances, and they played a significant part in angelic courtship. 

Adam suddenly realized the true significance of this moment, his breath got stuck in his throat. Michael was showing him his nest- It was the first step of a proper courtship. Adam was at a bit of a loss. In his books, they were a bit beyond the _start_ of a courtship in their relationship. 

“Michael,” he turned to face Michael fully, his voice soft. “You must know, to me you are, we are…” Adam trailed off, how should he put it? In a relationship? Partners? There wasn’t really a term for it. They were them. 

Michael gave him one of those smiles that made it impossible not to smile back. “I know,” he said. “But I wanted to do this right, now that I can. Before, there was no performing any of the steps in the Cage, was there? And I’ve never done this with anyone, I’ve never had a partner like you, so I wanted to, well, do it right by you.” 

Adam opened his mouth, though he had no idea what to say. He made a mental note that he apparently needed to go ring shopping at some point. If Michael was going to make an honest man out of him, he needed to return the favor. “Thank you, Michael,” he finally said, it was moments like these that made him wish they could touch each other. Without thinking he had lifted his arms to pull Michael closer, though he knew he would be meeting nothing but air. “The nest looks nice,” he said glancing back at it. He had no idea where half of the stuff in it had come from but he could now spot some familiar towels and pillows. 

Michael’s eyes narrowed clearly unsatisfied. “It still needs some work, but I am glad it is adequate.” 

Adam let out a laugh, at this point, Michael could have probably presented him with an actual bird’s nest made of only twigs and he would have rolled with it. “It looks soft,” Adam said, his eyes drifting back to the fabric-covered floor. “Should I- er- try it?” Adam’s dating experience hadn’t really prepared him for this. 

Michael tensed up. “If you’d like,” he was trying to sound casual, but acting anything but. This was a very delicate business, Adam knew.

Adam moved closer to the nest with Michael hovering over his shoulder. Adam carefully stepped over the raised edge of the nest and settled into the corner, leaning on the wall that was covered in fabric and, Adam realized, Michael’s own feathers. They were as long as Adam’s arm and were emitting a soft glow. Adam stared at them transfixed. Michael was sitting on the floor just staring at Adam in his nest. 

A familiar feeling hit Adam as he sat in the nest. There seemed to be this presence of Michael in the nest that was an echo of the way Michael wrapped him up in his grace. It made Adam let out a content hum. “Michael, this is amazing,” he said, a bit breathless, he let his hand stroke across the feathers feeling their otherworldly hum. “And very soft,” he continued. 

Adam felt a wide smile overtake his face as he saw the downright _pleased_ look Michael was wearing. 

“It is not much, compared to the nest I had in Heaven,” Michael said with a faraway look which meant he was shifting through a lot of memories. “I could have taken you there as well I suppose, but it just didn’t seem right somehow.” Michael shook his head. “This is where my life is now, so it felt right, to lay down some roots as you humans say. My grace is attaching itself to this place, if you haven’t noticed, the animals and plants feel it too.” Michael said with amusement in his voice. 

“So that’s why we have become a real-life Disney princess,” Adam laughed. He felt light and almost giddy. He felt at peace there, it was warm and soft and he was surrounded by the feeling of safety, of home. He let himself sink further into the nest. Adam’s eyes caught a shiny metallic texture that he had never seen before.

“Where did you get all this stuff anyway?” he asked, reaching for the silvery fabric, it was stuffed and soft. 

Michael shrugged. “It was around,” he said in a tone that immediately made Adam suspicious. He took a closer look at the item.

“Michael where did you get this? It’s someone's coat,” Adam said, pulling at the material, much to Michael’s displeasure.

“I found it,” he said defensively. 

“The car keys are still in the pocket Michael,” Adam said, pulling them out of the coat pocket. 

“I will return the keys.” Michael’s voice was terse, the keys disappeared from Adam’s hand. Adam sent a silent apology to the poor soul whose car keys appeared out of thin air. “Will you stop tearing apart the nest?” Michael said, sounding disgruntled. Adam immediately stilled. Michael’s petty theft aside, this was important. He hadn’t meant to damage the nest. 

“I’m sorry,” Adam said trying to pat the coat back into its place. “Just- How about tomorrow we go into town to _buy_ you some materials to work with? I promise I won’t peek.”

Michael considered this and nodded. He seemed to calm down after Adam was no longer tugging on the coat.

Adam leaned back, letting himself relax. “And Michael? The next step is gift-giving right?” he asked.

“Yes, we are to give one another tokens of our affection,” Michael nodded sharply his posture stiffening, they were back to serious talk. 

“First of all, you are not allowed to spy on me as I get yours, alright?”

Michael hummend in assent, “It would be rude.”

Adam smiled. “And you aren’t allowed to steal anything for me.”

Adam laughed as Michael’s face fell. He was going to have fun with this. Adam wondered if a ring could count as a “token of his affection”. He had a feeling it would work. 

**Author's Note:**

> This was fun to write, I have had the idea for this for a long time. I hope you guys liked it :) these two are soft <3
> 
> If someone wants they can also come talk to me on [tumblr](https://tuometarr.tumblr.com)


End file.
